16 Things I Actually Do When My Husband Is Out of Town

It’s a new year, and with that comes the realization that soon my husband will be making plans to go on his annual guys’ trip with his closest friends. But that won’t be the only trip he takes — it is likely he will go on at least one or two work trips. Which means he will officially be out of town, and I will officially be without an extra set of hands. When my husband returns from his trips, he often asks me what I did. And I tell him, omitting the small details most often, because let’s face it does he really care to know that I stayed up watching old episodes of 90210? Probably not. At any rate, here are 16 things I do when my husband is out of town:

Things I Do When My Husband Is Out of Town 1 of 17

Find out some of the things I tend to do when my Mr. is away!

Recruit (ask) my mom to come over 2 of 17

I am very close to my mom, which means the kids and I usually see her each week, but when we are alone I tend to want her company even more. Whether it is coming over and going with me and the girls to run errands or going on a local adventure, I am ready to pull out all the stops to get my mom to visit. "The girls are asking for their nana" or "I baked cookies." Regardless of these things (cookies or no cookies), I know she is always happy to spend time with us.

Leave all the lights on 3 of 17

My husband is always telling me that I need to be better about turning off the lights, but when he is gone we leave them all on.

Turn up the heat or air 4 of 17

Now is the time to get comfy-cozy. Just the way I like it. There's no one here to lower the thermostat or complain that it is too hot in here.

Dine out 5 of 17

My husband prefers eating at home, while I like to eat out. Whether it is going to a restaurant and eating there or heading to Chipotle and ordering food to go, I try to avoid cooking.

Skip chores 6 of 17

I totally skip out on chores. Few dishes are dirtied during the time of his absence thanks to take out. Most often, laundry goes unfolded too. And I figure, why go through the trouble of putting toys away if we are just going to play with them later and the next day? Of course, I do clean up prior to his anticipated arrival :).

Let the girls sleep with me 7 of 17

We do co-sleep, but, except for nights when she isn't feeling well or we are watching a family movie in bed, our oldest daughter sleeps in her own bed. But when daddy is gone all of us find ourselves piled in bed together.

Stay up late watching TV 8 of 17

I am not a big television watcher. However, when my Mr. is away, I have a hard time sleeping. So I stay up all night watching TV, and I usually watch shows he would never watch. Or on the other hand, I tune into shows he watches that I would "never" watch but find myself watching simply because I miss him.

Take naps 9 of 17

I tend to be even more tired, as I am basically taking care of the kids by myself (unless my mom comes over!). So when our littlest one takes a nap, I try to take one too.

Fuss 10 of 17

So he forgot to take out the trash. Totally understandable, until I get ready to and the bag breaks, spilling trash onto the floor (ugh!) ...

Lounge around 11 of 17

No need to hurry up and get out of our pajamas unless we decide to go someplace.

Frantically running around 12 of 17

If I'm not lounging, I may be frantically running around. So much to do, so little time ...

Take my kids on an adventure 13 of 17

I do try to make an effort to make a special memory with my girls. Sometimes that entails doing something fun at home. Other times it means going someplace. Mommy-daughter time is important, and we get even more of it when daddy is away.

Shop 14 of 17

Now is the time to shop at my favorite stores and get the stuff I really "need." And of course if he asks, it was on sale!

Work 15 of 17

Blog posts don't write themselves, right? :) But of course we always make time for ...

Play 16 of 17

We love to play. And while we love when daddy is around to join in on all of the fun, we keep it going even when he's away.

Miss him 17 of 17

Not only do I miss his help, but I really miss him. Although time away is good for us both, I am always excited for him to get home.

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